Apheresed RBC Collections

[Mary**]

Do Blood Centers test each unit when 2 are collected at the same donation?

[SMW]

NO, (if you are asking concerning infectious disease testing, ABO/Rh, etc.) Samples from each donation/donor are tested once regardless of the number of products that are collected/prepared from the donation (whole blood or apheresis collections) -- 2 apheresis Red Blood Cells, or 1 apheresis Red Blood Cell and 1 apheresis Platelet, or 1 Red Blood Cell, 1 Platelet and 1 plasma, or 2 or 3 apheresis Platelets, etc--testing performed once on the donor, not the products.

[heathervaught]

But there is some quality control testing that is performed on multiple parts of the same donation when dealing with apheresis components.

[Mary**]

Then I suppose the next question is, why isn't the price reduced on the second product?

[L106]

Then I suppose the next question is, why isn't the price reduced on the second product?

I'm not from a blood center, but I will respond anyway.

It is true that the double donations lower the cost of the infectious disease testing per red cell unit (since the testing is only done once.) However, surely the bags and miscellaneous disposables involved with double donations are more expensive than a regular single donation?? What about phlebotomist time.....Does a double donation take less time & attention than two regular single donations? And, of course, with the double donation you have the charge of the apheresis equipment (which, I'm sure, isn't cheap.)

[Marilyn Plett]

I think the issue really is that the donor is in the chair . Many donors do not donate regularly. Recruiting donors is expensive. Therefore getting 2 units from a donor who is already in your building (especially if that donor is O negative) is very important. "A bird in the hand is worth........"

[Mary**]

I see that side as well.

[OPUS104]

This is a pheresis product and requires an actual machine, just like the pher. platelets. As a collection center, I can say that the equipment is expensive, as is each kit needed per donor. (the unit is leuko-reduced during collection) Also, as someone mentioned, there is a whole different set of documentation for donors and a whole different set of daily and monthly controls and QC. Not to mention totally different training for both the phlebs and component ppl.